Board of Regents Policy Normalization of Credit Hours for Associate and Baccalaureate Degree Programs

The Board of Regents authorizes and instructs the CSCU System Chancellor to require each President and Chief Academic Officer of a college offering an Associate and/or a Baccalaureate degree to: 

1) Develop and implement a review process for each Associate and Baccalaureate degree program with the goal of normalizing the number of credits at 60 and 120 credit hours respectively without compromising accreditation and certification requirements. The review should also include the identification of institution and department policies that might contribute to excess credit hours required for graduation.

2) The campus excess credit hour review process should include a multi-year phased strategy that allows for sufficient time for the campus review committees to thoroughly consider excess credit hours.

3) Provide compelling rationale to maintain Associate and/or Baccalaureate degree programs with more than 60 or 120 credit hours following the completion of a campus-based review. In addition to accreditation requirements extenuating circumstances might include industry requests, labs and first year experience programs.

4) Campus appeal to continue offering Associate and Baccalaureate degree programs with more than 60 or 120 credits respectively will be presented to the System Chancellor and Provost. Upon consultation with the Academic and Student Affairs Committee a final recommendation will be offered and forwarded to the Board of Regents.

5) Effective with the Board of Regents approval of this policy all new program proposals are expected to meet the 60 or 120 credit objective unless there is substantiating rationale for additional credits.

6) Develop a communication process so that students understand the consequences of taking credits beyond those required for graduation.

Each affected campus will present its findings and recommendations to the Chancellor and the Board of Regents for the initial set of academic programs with excess credit hours no later than completion of the fall semester, December 2016 and approved recommendations to normalize Associate and Baccalaureate degree programs to 60 and 120 credits will be implemented, no later than with the entering freshmen class for fall 2017 or the entering class of students appropriate for the campus.